
Aussies delivers US-made tanks to Kyiv, as EU signs strictest sanctions package against Putin
The majority of the promised 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks have made their way to Ukraine, with the rest expected to be delivered in the coming months, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Saturday. But it remains unclear how many have actually arrived in the war-torn country.
The M1 Abrams is the main battle tank of the US Army — and one of the heaviest tanks in service.
Advertisement
4 The M1A1 Abrams tank weighs 62 tons it is one of the heaviest and strongest tanks, according to the US army.
Department of Defense
'The M1A1 tanks will make a significant contribution to Ukraine's ongoing fight against Russia's illegal and immoral invasion,' Marles said in a statement.
The delivery is part of a $160 million package the Aussies are sending to help Kyiv fend off Russia's invasion.
Advertisement
The country is also planning to deploy a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to Europe in August, to help protect an international gateway for assistance to Ukraine.
Australia is one of the largest non-NATO contributors to Ukraine. It's been sending military equipment, ammunition and aid to Kyiv since the start of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion.
4 Marles said most of the tanks have made their way to Ukraine with the rest coming in the next few months.
AP
The US meanwhile reshuffled its arms deliveries to free up more Patriots for Ukraine — the Pentagon's key missile defense system, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Advertisement
And the House overwhelmingly also voted to continue providing military support to Ukraine this week, as President Trump announced 'billions of dollars' worth of weapons would be shipped to Ukraine through Washington's NATO allies.
Further ratcheting up the pressure on Putin, the EU finally approved an 18th sanctions package against Russia.
The package was being held back by Slovakia, but Prime Minister Robert Fico agreed to stop blocking its approval Friday. It's believed to be the toughest levied on the Kremlin since the war broke out.
'We are standing firm. The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date,' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X.
Advertisement
4 Putin is facing his strictest sanctions package from the EU yet.
AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applauded the move, meant to severely limit Russia's war chest.
'This decision is essential and timely, especially now, as a response to the fact that Russia has intensified the brutality of the strikes on our cities and villages,' Zelensky said on X.
It sets a moving price cap on Russian crude oil, 15% below its average market price, according to EU diplomats. That means the Kremlin wouldn't be able to sell its oil for more than roughly $47.60 per barrel right now — far below the EU's previous $60 cap.
But oil traders have cast doubt whether it will disrupt Russian exports, as it's unclear who's responsible for policing the cap's implementation.
4 Zelensky welcomed the latest EU sanctions package.
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
And Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the move.
'We have repeatedly said that we consider such unilateral restrictions illegal, we oppose them,' Peskov told reporters Friday.
Advertisement
The sanctions also go after more Russian shadow fleet ships, banning an additional 105 vessels from accessing EU ports, adding the total to 400.
And transactions related to Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea will also be banned as part of the EU package, as Kyiv's allies look to pressure Putin into agreeing to a long-awaited cease-fire deal in the deadly war.
With wires

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Slide After Trump Trade Deal Strengthens Dollar
Cryptocurrency markets are trading lower on Monday as the dollar strengthens off the back of the US-EU trade Ticker Price Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) $118,108.50 Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) $3,797.82 Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) $186.08 XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) $3.15 Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) $0.2302 Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) $0.00001351 Notable Statistics: IntoTheBlock data shows Bitcoin's large transaction and daily active addresses decreased by 0.6% and 4.1%, respectively. Exchanges netflows increased by 224.4%. Coinglass data shows 129,457 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $383.28 million. Notable Developments: Trader Notes: Crypto trader Titan of Crypto highlighted that Bollinger Bands are squeezing, signaling a period of compressed volatility that often precedes a major price move. "Low volatility = Big move incoming," he saidCryptoCon pointed out that the Bitcoin Golden Ratio Multiplier's cycle top has now climbed to $181,000, reflecting an upward-trending peak projection for this market cycle. Crypto Seth emphasized that Bitcoin remains firmly in a bull market, noting it has retested the lower band 11 times this cycle. This is a necessary pain point for long-term upside as there can be no reward without being willing to ride out the downside. Trader Mayne added that Bitcoin longs appear strong, and the recent wick into the daily Fair Value Gap (FVG) may act as solid support. He believes this pullback could be the last good entry before the next major leg up. Read Next:Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Slide After Trump Trade Deal Strengthens Dollar originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PayPal Taps $3?Trillion Crypto Market
PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) is rolling out Pay with Crypto for merchants, tapping a $3 trillion plus market by enabling instant crypto?to?stablecoin or fiat conversions. The new service supports 100+ cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC?USD), Ethereum (ETH?USD) and wallets like Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and MetaMask. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with PYPL. At a 0.99% fee, Pay with Crypto cuts transaction costs by up to 90% versus international credit cards, says CEO Alex Chriss, removing barriers and helping every business of every size achieve their goals. Pay with Crypto will be available to US merchants in the coming weeks, offering instant settlement to broaden global reach without the usual integration headaches. Merchants can accept payments in crypto, convert on the fly and receive dollars in their PayPal accountssidestepping volatility and complex wallet management. This move could make PayPal the go?to network for cross?border sales and put pressure on legacy payment processors to slash fees. Why it matters: Ultra?low fees and broad crypto support could lock merchants into PayPal's ecosystem and reshape global e?commerce payments. Investors will be watching merchant sign?ups and fee revenue growth once the service goes live. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


The Hill
10 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump says he ended friendship with Epstein because he ‘stole people that worked for me'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he ended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and threw the now-disgraced financier out of his private club in Florida after Epstein betrayed him more than once by hiring people who had worked for him. Trump did not say what the people's jobs were or where they worked, and the White House had no immediate comment. But with the fresh comments, Trump shed a little light on the reason why he has said he had ended the relationship with Epstein, though Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, recently said on X that, 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep.' Epstein killed himself, authorities say, in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein's death before Trump returned to power and are now struggling to manage the fallout after the Justice Department said Epstein did in fact die by suicide and that it would not release additional documents about the case. The president and his allies, some of whom are now in the administration, had promised to release the files. The case has dogged Trump at home and abroad and even followed Vice President JD Vance during an appearance in his home state of Ohio on Monday. A small group of protesters assembled outside a factory in Canton that Vance toured, holding signs that spelled out 'JD Protects Pedophiles' and indicating that 'GOP' stands for 'Guardians Of Pedophiles.' The Republican president spoke at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland, as he sat with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the leaders had met and were answering questions from U.S. and U.K. journalists. Asked to explain why the relationship had faltered, Trump said, 'That's such old history, very easy to explain, but I don't want to waste your time by explaining it.' He then explained, saying he stopped talking to Epstein after 'he did something that was inappropriate.' 'He hired help and I said, 'Don't ever do that again,'' Trump said. 'He stole people that worked for me. I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.' 'I threw him out and that was it. I'm glad I did, if you want to know the truth,' Trump added. Trump recently directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the public release of sealed grand jury transcripts in the case. One federal judge has denied that request; a second judge has yet to rule. Vance on Monday visited the factory to promote Trump's tax cut and border bill, but also addressed the Epstein matter, saying the president wants 'full transparency' in the case. 'The president has been very clear. We're not shielding anything,' Vance said in response to a reporter's question. 'The president has directed the attorney general to release all credible information and, frankly, to go and find additional credible information related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.' 'Some of that stuff takes time,' Vance said, adding that Trump has been 'very clear. He wants full transparency.' Trump had said back in 2019 that Epstein was a fixture in Palm Beach but that the two had had a falling-out a long time ago and he hadn't spoken with Epstein for 15 years. Trump on Monday also denied contributing to a compilation of letters and drawings to mark Epstein's 50th birthday, first reported on by the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper said the letter believed to be from Trump included a drawing of a woman's body. 'I don't do drawings of women, that I can tell you,' Trump said.